All four appeared before Newcastle magistrates yesterday and were banned from attending England matches, at home and abroad, for 26 months. The ban was timed to end after the 2006 World Cup, in Germany.

After the case Det Sgt Paul Evans, who heads Northumbria Police's football intelligence unit, said the orders were a major boost in the fight against organised thugs. He said: "These people were about to travel to Portugal and these orders take out the nucleus of Newcastle United's hooligan element."

City magistrates heard how the four banning orders made yesterday seriously reduced the potential risk for trouble.

Counsel for the chief constable, Graham Duff, asked for the magistrates to impose conditions which stopped the four attending domestic games as well as international fixtures.

Newcastle fan Mennim, 42, of Chatsworth Gardens, Newcastle, was banned from attending United and Sunderland fixtures after a history of violence. The court heard how he often travelled to Sunderland games when Newcastle were not playing just to cause trouble.

Mr Duff said Mennim once travelled to an away game with Nottingham Forest so he could fight Sunderland fans. Mennim was seen wearing a Newcastle United badge with an offensive term against Sunderland supporters.

Giving evidence, Det Sgt Evans told the court Mennim had been subject to a banning order before, in December 2000. But he was involved in violent disorder three times after that ban was imposed.

Brindley, who sports a three inch scar near his right ear, was also part of the trouble in Breda, Holland, when Newcastle United played in the Uefa Cup, in October.

The 33-year-old, of Bolingbroke Street, Newcastle, had been before the courts on a number of occasions on violence and serious assault charges.

He has already served a number of prison terms, the longest being two-and-half years.

Stephen Wallace, of Portmeads Rise, Birtley, was also spotted by Dutch police causing trouble in the Uefa Cup clash.

Magistrates also heard how he was arrested in 1999 at a Newcastle United v Bradford match where the 29-year-old was caught with a CS gas cannister.

Det Sgt Evans said: "The reputation of both English football and English police forces are at stake when hooligans misbehave abroad.

"Hooligans used to think they could go abroad and cause trouble and essentially get away with it. But we are committed to working with a number of other forces and agencies, not only in this country but also abroad and people who do misbehave will have to face the consequences."

Northumbria Police has now issued more than 60 banning orders on football hooligans.

FA chiefs have been warned that the England team could be kicked out of the European Championships if their fans misbehaved.

Nationally, 2,300 banning orders have been issued, with several hundred still in the pipeline, to stop thugs travelling to cause trouble in Portugal.

Page 2: Divided loyalties for France-loving fan

Divided loyalties for France-loving fan

As Football-mad Geordies gear up for England's clash with France, one Tynesider has found himself with divided loyalties.

Retired French lecturer Geoff Hare, 58, lives in Newcastle but considers himself one of France's biggest fans.

He has written a book about the French game and is even a member of their official supporters' club.

Geoff, of Jesmond, said: "I have always loved football. I follow Newcastle United and always support England in major tournaments.

"But after years of following the French game, I have definitely become a big fan.

"So I guess you could say I have divided loyalties. Ideally, I would like both teams to get through the group stage and meet in the final."

Geoff, who says he will watch tomorrow night's match at home with his wife, regularly meets with other Tyneside-based French fans.

He said: "The Newcastle branch of the Alliance Francaise meets every month or so.

"A few of the members have satellite TV and will be able to watch it with a French commentary.

"No doubt all the pubs will be full for the game but I'm going to stay at home with a bottle of French wine."

In terms of predictions, he is sitting on the fence. He said: "Historically games between the two sides end in draws so I'm going for a 1-1 scoreline.

"There are a lot of French players over here and they will know our game.

"But it works both ways and we will know what to expect from them."

But when it comes to club football, Geoff is in no doubt as to where his loyalties lie. He said: "I did spend a year in Lyon and was glad to see them win the French league. I also look out for a small team called Guigamp who ended up getting relegated this year.

"But mainly I follow Newcastle United and try to see them whenever I can."

Geoff is author of Football in France: A Cultural History.

Page 3: Put your shirt on success

Put your shirt on success

Football fans wanting to relive past glory ahead of Euro 2004 have snapped up hundreds of old-fashioned shirts from a Tyneside specialist.

Sales of the national shirt have gone through the roof at Team Valley-based Toffs, which specialises in bygone replica strips.

The company, which had a turnover of #2m last year, says it has sold more England shirts in advance of Euro 2004 than before the World Cup in Japan and South Korea two years ago.

Demand has been so great that newly-introduced Mexico '86 and Italia '90 World Cup shirts have sold out.

The ever-popular 1966 World Cup top is also selling strongly, with extra ones being made in the weeks before this year's tournament to cope with demand.

Toffs sales and marketing manager, Chris Kee, said: "We've sold hundreds. It's safe to say it's been absolutely brilliant. We're totally sold out of the 1990s Paul Gascoigne shirt as well as the Gary Lineker Mexico '86 shirt.

"We made sure we had enough of the 1966 shirt because it's been tried and tested, we knew how many we would need. But the new products have taken us totally by surprise and flew out of the door.

"We're way up on previous World Cups and other tournaments."

Earlier this week, we told how AA Flags, in Consett, is asking employees to work overtime to cope with demand for the St George's Cross.

The firm has sold about 10,000 of the small car flags and up to 3,000 larger ones.

Page 4: Booze service slammed by experts

Booze service slammed by experts

Health experts have expressed concern about excessive drinking as an out-of-hours booze service takes advantage of Euro 2004.

Dial@Drink in Newcastle has been dropping flyers through doors on Tyneside in the run up to the football tournament.

The service delivers beer, wines and spirits direct to people's doors seven nights a week after closing time.

Customers can ring for delivery between 10pm and 4am Monday to Thursday, 10pm and 5am Friday and Saturday, and 10pm and 2am on Sunday.

But out of normal licensing hours the company is legally obliged to sell wholesale quantities.

This means that deliveries of beer or cider have to be 20 litres or more and for wine and spirits no less than nine litres.

The Government is putting together a national alcohol harm reduction strategy following concerns about binge drinking.

Dr Christopher Record, a consultant physician in gastroenterology and hepatology at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, is leading a campaign by some of the country's most senior doctors for a cigarette-style warning on alcoholic drinks and in bars.

Dr Record said: "I think this is just going to promote binge drinking. It is providing large amounts of alcohol which are likely to be for drinking on that night."

Dr Eileen Kaner, principal research associate at Newcastle University, specialising in risky drinking and young people, said: "An out-of-hours booze service would seem to encourage excessive drinking and I would have hardly thought it necessary with the forthcoming relaxation in licensing laws."